Fortress of Justinian

Fortress of Justinian
Native name Kalaja e Tiranës (Albanian)
Castle of Tirana
Location	Tirana
Coordinates	41°19′35″N 19°49′19″E / 41.32639°N 19.82194°E / 41.32639; 19.82194
Height	6 m
Current use	Open to the public
Owner	Albania
Website	kalajaetiranes.al
Cultural Monument of Albania
Designated	10 June 1973
Location of Fortress of Justinian in Albania

Fortress of Justinian (Albanian: Kalaja e Justinianit) or simply known as Tirana Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Tiranës) is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east–west and north–south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana. The current fortification has three known towers and it is undergoing a process of restoration, for touristic purposes. Inside the fortified walls of the former fortress, there are many buildings that can be visited, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions.^[1]

About all that is left of the fortress above ground is a 6-metre (20 ft) high Ottoman-era wall, covered in vines. The recently uncovered wall foundations were incorporated into the pedestrianised Murat Toptani Street, while a mosaic commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Albania's Independence was unveiled near the Albanian Parliament.^[2]

The Castle of Tirana was declared a monument of culture of first category on 10 June 1973 and the new tracks of walls of Tirana Castle were declared a cultural monument on 15 May 2008.^[3]

In December 2018, a new traditional bazaar was opened inside Tirana Castle with various traditional hand crafts stores and traditional cuisine restaurants.

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  Tirana Castle
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  Inside the castle
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  Fortress walls
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  Part of the castle's fortification
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  Pedestrian Murat Toptani St nearby fortress
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  Pedestrian Murat Toptani St nearby fortress
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  Explanatory plaque

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